Badfic? What badfic?
by Emzing
Summary: Meet Zora, our emo-Goth intentional Mary-Sue heroine! Read through her story as she struggles through getting over a tragic past and keeping her boyfriend Knuckles busy while trying not to cheat on him with Shadow. Yeah, it's so bad it can't fail!
1. Crimson Regret

Hi. My name is Zora. Just Zora. I don't have any surname, or maybe I do, but I sure don't know it. Most people just call me Gothie. Maybe because I always wear black beautiful clothes that look like what an old Victorian schoolgirl would be wearing, because I listen to Evanescence, because I have raven black hair and sparkling golden eyes that reflect the despair and sorrow of a star filled night sky. Or perhaps because I secretely cut myself when the sadness takes over.

Usually I'm very happy and outgoing, but that is only a fasade; deep down inside there's just this black hole of sorrow that ravages my heart.

They tell me I heal broken hearts, save forsaken lives, with my kind soul.

But is it too late to heal and save myself?

It is midnight when Knuckles calls me. He calls my cellphone, as usually, and since I've got a pretty new cellphone I have been able to give him his own ringtone, My Immortal by Evanescence. I gave him that one because it's gothic and romantic at the same time. I yawn before I pick up the cellphone and answer.

"Yes, sweetheart?" I mumble to the phone. He gives a relieved smile.

"I'm sorry I woke you up, darling. I just had to hear your lovely voice" he answers. I give a grunt, but I'm smiling.

"And you had to do it now?" I ask him. He clears his throat.

"Well…" he starts off, a silence following.

"…it's just that your voice is so beautiful, so cute, when you've just woken up" he finishes, but I know he's lying to me.

"Don't lie to me, you know that lovers are honest!" I complain. He gives a sigh.

"I… I just…" He bursts out into tears. I start to feel really sorry for him by now.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to push you-" I start off, but he interrupts me.

"No, it wasn't you, it's just that I… I had a nightmare… you died…" he stammers. Knuckles is so sweet, he always cares about me, even in his sleep. I roll over the bed, turning the lights on and trying to find some clothes.

"Hey, why don't you come over, love? Maybe you'll feel better if I'm near you?" I suggest. He nods.

"Yeah… I'll be there in a minute… don't die, you're the meaning of my life, you know" he says lowly, the tears probably having stopped by now. I smile.

"I won't, sweetie" I say and we hang up.

I get finished with dressing myself, my most beautiful Goth clothes, and five minutes later he enters through my opened window. He hugs me tightly, nearly crushing my ribs. Well, not really, I'm invulnerable so how would that be possible, but if I was any normal person he would. I hug him back.

"It's alright, sweetheart, I'm not anywhere near dying" I try to consolate him. He just looks up from my shoulder, gazing into my beautiful eyes.

"Then why this?" he asks and moves his hand over my wrist. I gasp; I forgot my Heavy Metal spike bracelets and emo gloves that cover the scars from my cutting! It's my turn to break down in tears in his arms now. He lifts me up in his arms, lays me down on my bed, lays himself down beside and embraces me, protectively.


	2. Bring Me To Life

I wake up with Knuckles' arms still around me. My tears have dried, lingering on my cheek like a sorrow hangover. I am curled up in his arms and my hair has a kind of sweet tousled look to it. He still has his eyes closed and he looks like a sleeping guardian angel, just for me. I caress his dreadlocks, those beautiful blood red dreadlocks. I glance at the wrist of my caressing hand; scars from my self inflicted pain. The scars are connected to memories; that two inch scar highest up is from when I thought Knuckles loved Rouge, not me. I hate Rouge, she's such a bitchy prep! I felt so sorry for Knuckles back then, when I thought he was under her D-cup spell, and I told myself that I would die rather than let Rouge have someone so fantastic. But it was after I spoke to Knuckles about it that he told me he was just trying to make me jealous. That's when we became a couple. Rouge almost committed suicide over this, but she was quickly over him and started t flirt with poor Shadow instead. I know Shadow isn't interested, though. He likes Goth girls, he said. I remember I got worried that time too; he had this smile on his face, the warm and loving one, and I knew that one day I would have to break his heart. It's no secret that it's really me he likes, I'm the Goth of the gang. And whenever I get in trouble, he and Knuckles always fight over who will save me, not realizing that I've saved myself from it long ago. I'm even stronger than Knuckles, and I have better control over Chaos energy than Shadow, and they treat me like a damsel in distress anyway. Pretty sweet of them, though. I just wish I could save my soul just as easily, wish my soul was as invulnerable as my skin.

Knuckles makes me and himself some breakfast as he tries to find out what's behind all these scars. Pain, hatred, anger, regret… that's what lies behind them.

"It's nothing" I repeat for what must be the fourth or fifth time. He looks at me, walks over to the chair where I'm sitting and lowers himself down to my level as he gazes into my amber eyes.

"It's everything" he says and takes my hands.

"I want to help you, Zora. I swore to love you, protect you, set your happiness before everything, but I can't keep that promise if you don't accept my help" he says, stroking my Gothic black hair. I avoid his eyes, glancing at my feet. I have this premonition of evil approaching, which makes it hard to concentrate.

"You know I can handle…" I mumble slowly. Knuckles shakes his head.

"Not when you are so convinced of it" he says.

"Since when did you get so smart, anyway?" I ask, but before he can answer anything I am hit by a laser beam, slammed into a tree. Knuckles gasps as he runs up by my side and sees Eggman in a huge robot, cackling.

"Hello, Knuckles, hello Gothie" he says. I hope I mentioned my nickname to you all. I feel dizzy but I manage to pull myself up.

"Hello, stupid" I answer with a smirk on my face. I clench my fists as I run at his huge robot, punching a hole right through one leg. Knuckles joins up, almost managing to punch through the other one, and on his second punch he succeeds. The robot falls to its knees, bringing Eggman closer to us. In a manner of team work, Knuckles lifts me up and throws me up so I can reach Eggman. I smirk at him.

"Bye" I say cockily as I kick his Eggmobile away. I jump down from the robot, landing next to Knuckles. I smile, glad that Eggman interrupted the sensitive subject. Knuckles smiles back to me.

"Good job. As always" he says as we walk away, holding hands.


	3. My Tourniquet

Knuckles and I meet up with Sonic and Amy, and Amy suggests with an absolutely delighted voice that we should have a double date. Sonic objects, Knuckles looks troubled and I think it's the most stupid idea ever. Hang out the four of us? Sure, fine. But a double date? Sounds way too preppy for me. Like something a stupid teenage girl would say just to fit in with her just as preppy clique friends. Not my style. But I don't want to hurt her; after all, she's twelve years old and doesn't know better. So I skip the objection, putting up a smile on my face and lets her convince Knuckles and Sonic to perform the so-called double date. I'd rather call it abduction when it comes to her and Sonic. Abduction... The thought, the joke, makes me smile. Knuckles looks at me, smiling back. He likes it when I smile, he says. Maybe because then he knows I'm not being sad. He cares so much for me, it feels bad not to be happy for what I have.

We walk to a beautiful park; the kind of park I would love to roam through in the moonlight. With Knuckles's hand in mine. Oh, how wonderful that would be...

"Let's go back here tonight after dark" I whisper to Knuckles. He nods.

"Sure, babe" he whispers back. From the corner of my eye, I see Sonic's panicked look.

Save me, he looks like. I smile back to him.

"Not a chance," I mouth to him. He gives a despaired look, and I just grin wider.

It's late at night and I am meant to see Knuckles in the park again. I've dressed in a long black dress with satin ribbons, and set up my hair in a knot but allowing a few locks to fall down and frame in my face. I am in the park now, and the full moon glisters over the crystal blank lake under the japanese bridge I am standing on. The fountain gives pearl clear cluckings from another side of the park. The park is much more beautiful in this darkness, this loneliness. Suddenly I hear a strange sound, a snarling or something, from a bush. I swirl around in shock and look around, seeing one bush rustling and moving about.

"I wish Knuckles would be here now, and I wouldn't be this paranoid..." I think with a faster pounding heart.I don't want to stay on this bridge above the lake, but I can't bring myself to move. Not even as I hear the snarl again, before the bush breaks for a huge creature! It's furry, claw equipped and- I can't notice anything more as I see the beast in front of me and feel his paws pushing me backwards. I can't help a small scream escaping my lips as I hit the ground of the bridge, rolling away from the beasts' punch. I get up on my feet.

"Where's Knuckles?!" I gasp in a moment of shock as the beast shows his teeth and gives me a hard slap with his hard paw, sending me right into a tree head first. I feel dizzy, I can't move because of it and I'm starting to give up as the beast growls over and over, every time sounding much closer. I've never given much thought to how I would die, and still I've had reason enough for my whole miserable life, but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. I'm a predator; I can kill a lion and eat it raw. I never thought myself to be the prey. Quite frankly, I hate it. Hate not to be able to say any last words, too. Then suddenly my vision starts to clear up again, and I see the beast, which looks like a werehog, huddled up and whining. In front of me, right in front of me, is a hero. A prince, an angel, of salvation. I can't make out who it is, but I do know that he must be the one who saved me. The one in front of me lashes out towards the werehog, who whines loudly and sets off to the forest. The man turns around, and I widen my eyes.

"Shadow?" is all I manage to press out of my shocked, trembling lips. He kneels down beside me, pressing a finger to my lips.

"Don't speak. I can hear you're still shocked" he says with a gentle voice. I nod, swallowing hard. He takes my hand, and lays an arm around my waist, helping me up.

"You shouldn't be out this late right here" he says. I roll my eyes.

"You shouldn't be my dad" I snap back. Then I feel guilty; he saved my life, and I didn't even thank him for it; just snapped at him. Everything is just too much; my eyes start to burn and my throat churns until the tears burst out and I cry. Shadow embraces me, I don't deserve his friendship, and pats my back.

"t's okay, you're just shocked right now. Not to mention scared and confused" he says softly and hugs me tighter.

"So what are you doing out here so late?" he asks. I dry my tears up as I answer.

"Knuckles will be here any minute. We were going to have a romantic evening... and you?" I counterask. He looks up at the stars.

"I seize the opportunity to listen to the silence, and let the darkness show me the way" he answers. Shadow is so deep, and the only one who really understands me. Knuckles, he wants to save me, while Shadow mostly just seems to try and listen to me, understand me. Except for Knuckles, he's the only one who knows about my addiction to cutting myself. He does it himself; he understands. "Closing the wounds with a knife" he calls it, and I've kind of adopted that expression. "Distracting the pain" is another expression we have. Shadow sighs as he lifts me up in his arms, getting very little objections from me, and carries me over to a park bench.

"Zora... I want you to keep me a secret" he says, his voice low and serious as he looks into my amber eyes with his blood red ones. I nod slowly. He sighs again, and shows his teeth to me. I gasp.

"You're... a vampire!"


	4. Taking Over Me

A/N: Short one today, I was really tired when writing this.

There are three things I can clearly state for sure. The first is that he is a vampire. The second is that one side of him, and I don't know how dominant that side is, lusters for my warm and crimson blood. The third? I am too ashamed of it to tell. He looks into my glistering amber irises; he looks so afraid. For what?  
"Are you scared of me now?" he asks with a soft voice. I shake my head, slowly.  
"You're still Shadow, with or without fangs" I say gently. Shadow's blood red eyes nail their gaze to the emerald green grass below us, his arms locked behind his back. It is frightening to stand in front of a vampire late at night, alone. Especially standing in front of Shadow. He's my enemy, or at least he should be my enemy, but I can't help some feelings. Does this explain why I can't keep my thoughts leashed when he approaches? The fact that he is a vampire, a vampire with the trait of infinite beauty and charisma, everything to capture its prey? The fear penetrates me; What if Shadow is the predator, and I am his prey? Yet in his eyes... all the sadness of the world. Those pleading eyes, looking back up to mine, that both threaten and adore. How can one leave those eyes? I am a prey for him, mesmerized by what should warn me to flee. My hands shiver; I notice they have been shivering for a long time now; and I clench them to stop the shivering.  
"You are scared of me. I know you are" he suddenly says, breaking me out from my thoughts. I look at him.  
"N-no, why would I be scared?" I answer. He steps closer; I gasp and stagger backwards. He steps back again.  
"Because of that" he says. That dark, Gothic and mesmerizing voice; Shadow needs no cage, no shackles, to keep me and my heart like frozen in time. It isn't him I fear; not his fangs, neither his power: what I fear is within me. The feelings that should be kept hidden from myself and the lack of control, it strikes me with panic. If panic was a bullet then so would I be a leaf in its way. A leaf, shivering in the wind.  
"I-I'm not scared..." I whisper, shivering in the sudden cold. Shadow looks me in the eyes, his gaze piercing right through my soul, penetrating my senses, searching through all my thoughts and finding exactly what it was looking for. The tension between us, the confused emotions, the breaking of my senses... Everything fades to black.


	5. Haunted

I wake up the next morning with Knuckles kneeling by me and the glowering of the Master emerald embracing us both. I feel very awake and strong as I look him in the eyes.  
"Knuckles..." I say with a smile. He smiles back, lifts me up to a sitting position and kisses me.  
"Good morning, sleeping Beauty" he says. I notice that it's still night time. His face loosens into a frown.  
"I'm sorry I didn't come in time to our date, Rouge was trying to steal the Master emerald again. I came just in time to see you fainting in front of Shadow. He disappeared when he saw me. What did he do to you? You were covered in wounds!" he asks me with a worried voice. Damn. How am I going to explain all this, then? I fainted because of confusion with my feelings over Shadow? It must be changed!  
"Well... I was sort of attacked by a werehog, and Shadow came, which scared it away, but I had lost so much blood, and that's when I fainted" I answer. Knuckles gives me a hug.  
"Oh, I'm so so sorry I didn't make it in time" he repeats. I hug him back.  
"It's alright, Knuckles. I love you" I say softly. He answers me with the same last three words.  
"At least you're healed now. I let the Master emerald heal you" he says. I smile.  
"Radiation treatment, eh?" I joke. He laughs and kisses me on the cheek.  
"Good one!" he says and looks me in the eyes with a smile. He rises and helps me to rise.  
"But you're not completely out of danger yet. First you must face... the Werechidna!" he suddenly bursts out and tackles me to the ground again. I give a short squeal of surprise, and he gets down on all fours over me with a sly grin.  
"He's got sharp claws ripping you up" he says and starts to tickle me. I laugh brightly, non-consensually, until he finally stops.  
"Muscles enough to detach trees from their roots" he continues and gives me a rib-crushing hug.  
"And worst of all..." he states with a whisper, his lips touching my ear.  
"...he's very hungry!" He nibbles on my ear, which tickles, and then mves down to kissing and licking my neck. I giggle because it tickles so much and because it feels so silly.  
"Knuckles... stop it!" I try to say, but I can only laugh and it sounds very unmeaning. He just gives a dark chuckle before kissing my lips.  
"Quiet, prey!" he jokes and rolls us over on the soft grass. I laugh, because we're having so much fun. I start to really like this.  
"Oh, you big bad wolf!" I tell him.


	6. Going Under

The constant firing of cannons ring in my ears as I run at the speed of light. Sonic's heart beat pounds in my head, as does his weak voice which he used as he spoke what might be his last words...  
*FLASHBACK*  
Zora ran up to Sonic's side, calling his name. Red blood was staining his blue fur, most of it coming out of his mouth. Laying on the sickbed, he looked really weak and helpless. She leaned over the bed and repeated his name.  
"Sonic...Sonic! Can you hear me?" she asked in panic. Sonic opened his eyes, giving a weak smile before coughing up more blood.  
"Zora... the plague will be taking me soon... I am dying" he whispered, coughing. Tears ran down her face.  
"Don't say that, Sonic! Never give up! It's what you always told me!" she screamed. Sonic sighed and closed his eyes for a while before opening them again.  
"I can't fight Eggman... can't stop this plague he's spreading... can't save the world..." She shivered upon his words, fearing that the mantle, the burden, the responsibility for the world, would be laid upon her shoulders. Sonic smiled.  
"My last wish... please, Zora... you're the only one who can do this... please, save the world in my place..." he whispered, even weaker now. Zora nodded. There was only one answer to a friend's last wish.  
"I will..." she said. As Sonic closed his eyes, Knuckles entered and laid a hand upon Zora's shoulder. She had bent down over Sonic, crying.  
"He might have a few hours left to live, Zora. If you're quick he might even be alive to hear you proclaim your heroic deed" Knuckles said solemnly. Zora nodded, her face slightly distorting into anger.  
"I'll make Eggman pay...!" And with those words she set off to save the world.

Now, running faster than anything else alive, Zora knows that if she succeeds, she'll have the antidote for Sonic! She made a bet with Eggman: She will be his slave if she loses. If she wins, Sonic will be saved. He has put her through a lot of tests, and this is her final one. The toughest. She has been told to run to the centre of Bowser's castle, where she will meet the most terrifying opponent. Bowser himself, was her first thought. But no, he was just the entrance guard. An easy beat.  
She reaches the centre of the castle, a huge hall with pillars and red carpets, and stops up. She looks around. It's all silent and empty except for her. She starts to think that Eggman has merely tricked her to prevent her from saving the world, when suddenly she hears the door slamming shut, and a violet shade filling the room, some kind of magic. She hears a dark, male voice chuckling darkly. She turns around, but finds the sound echoing through the whole chamber. There is a throne in the room, and suddenly it is engulfed in darkness. As the darkness fades there is a man on the throne, chuckling with the same voice she heard before. She stares. A white echidna with a devil horn shaped crown and a king's mantle.  
"Lucifer!" she gasps, realizing she is about to fight the devil himself. She should have known from the spiral stairs leading her down and down and down, should have known from the increase of heat! She is in Hell itself, and meant to fight the devil. Lucifer rises from his seat, smirking.  
"Well you understood quickly, Mair" he states. Zora winces.  
"My name's Zora" she corrects him. He chuckles.  
"Precious objects tend to wield several names" he answers, smirking still. She clenches her fists.  
"I'm not an object" she growls. "Let's fight!"

To be continued...


End file.
